Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-11
ODD DINNER DAINTlES.
QUEER DISHES FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE GASTRONOMlCALLY INCLINED.

A Delicious Roast of Wild Cat-The ES.
ceIlence of Observation-Disclosures Paste and
Picked Grasshoppers-Locust on Toast.
A Florida Dainty.
It has often been said that the man Hhc |
first ate a raw oyster must have been NOT
only brave, but hungry, and although there
are few of us who bave been equally brave i'll |
tasting new dishes, we think it safe to say that
there are many more who would have to be
very hungry before eating broiled rattlesnake
or baked bu2zard, and Yet those who have
eaten broiled snake declare it to be, when
properly cooked, excellent eating.
A few winters ago, in Florida, | was in
vited to feast in the wilderness, and ate
heartily of delicious roast of meat; ON ask
ing for second plate inquired what it was,
and was told that it was roast wild cat
Not for the whole state of Florida could
have eaten another mouthful, and yet my
viS-;,-vis exclaimed, wild cat-it is de
hciousn How could hes | thought OF
course was glad afterward that had tasted
wild cat, hut could not have felt any more
uncomfortable for a while if they had told
me that had eaten part of the alligator
had seen brought in from the swamp that
morning, or a pie made of the beautiful little
| chameleons that were to be found every
| where; and in fact | am not quite sure but
| that some of the tough black steaks that We
had at the st. Augustine and Jacksonville
! hotels were not alligator steaks. However,
| every one to his taste: the Chinaman will
tell you that mice are very good eating" +"
the Frenchman that horse flesh sis excel
| IaY,f0 tba hot -,
Delicious" the cannibal that nothing equals
the flesh of his enemy, and so on.
PREPARING FROGS LEGS.
Although frog spearing became a fashion
| able sport across the water last summer, and
was practiced both by men and women, We
hardly think that even hazel wood eros.
bows and silken cords will induce American
girls to follow their French cousins in this
rather questionable amusement, still, a.
thereare recipes to be found for the serving ct
frogs legs in some of the rev cook books, Il
proves that it is not an unknown dish nor al
unliked one, and for the benefit of those who
affect something odd for the table the follow
ing suggestions for dishes and dinners AR
, offered
There are several ways of preparing frogs
legs, the simplest being salad; fried, viii
sauce tartare; patties of frogs legs; and 1
| plain fry. For the last, which is the sim
plest of all, skin, and boil for five minute
!. IN salted water, then throw into cold waite
and drain; roll in cracker crumbs, and fr,
in hot fat
Those who visit Florida in the winter cal
# indulge in palmetto cabbage, which is tn
tender bud of the tree and prepared just a
you would boil cabbage, not forgetting +
change the water at least twice 1t ais
| makes an excellent pickle.
We have heard it stated by those who hav
tried it that watermelon is vastly improve
| ty pouring claret or champagne over il
Some time since The London Standard put
lished two recipes which we think will serv
as extreme examples in taste. They were fo
beetle paste ard picked grasshoppers; tn
;;e latter is New Zealand dish, but is none th
) less recommended The beetles which az
used are the common black ones The
- should be soaked in vinegar for six hour
3then dried in the sun for two hours; th
J outer shell can then be easily removed, lea,
ing the flesh, which resembles a shriml
-, Now mix with -four, butter, pepper and sa
r. into thick paste, and set in cool oven fd
r. TWO hours When cold serve with bread an
:; butter The grasshoppers should be steepe
| in salt or pork brine for two hours the
t, boiled in the brine for twenty minutes, the
rinsed in lCkewarm water, and remove Il
49, heads, legs and wings tif any are leftJ The
4 are now ready for the table, and should
i eaten with crackers.
e CHINESE DISH
.E A Chinese student tells us that locusts {
& toast is as fashionable dish in northel
y China as quail on toast is in America, and Y
nj see no reason to doubt his assertion that The
"A are delicious eating. To prepare them Il
Is locusts are thrown into hot dry pot al
q covered. When they are dead handful
81 salt is thrown in, and they are stirred Uni
sS crisp; then serve on toeEt. They are said
q resemble a salt herring in taste
% One Of the dainties Of a Florida seaside /
! tel last winter was Frenched conch, and mal
= a guest ate it and enjoyed it without knowil
exactly what it was. 1t is the fish who
beautiful pink shells are made so much OF
Florida, and it is good eating when proper
lily cooked. 1t is usually fried in batter, or Ina
IN into soup.
Oh An odd way of entertaining is to serve 1
the tional dinners, such as a Swedish dinner,
an which every dish has been prepared
j. Swedish fashion. One very important f,
all, ture might be the use of black bread, VIII
ork can only lie obtained from a Swedish b.lk
Another Swedish dish is an omelet made VI
- grated cheese, butter and milk, and cook
su in the dish in which it is served. A Scot
IN dinner consists of kali soup, kippered salm,